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Monday, March 30, 2015

I long for simple times and simple pleasures. While I was in California, I spent a lazy Sunday strolling through the beautiful grounds of Huntington Library and I'll be honest with you -- if I was a permanent resident of the area I would be more than content spending my weekends lazing my way through the various gardens. Plus, for someone like me who loves nature photography more than anything else, it is truly a treasure trove. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area or even locals who just have never been! Tops the list for one of my favorite spots to enjoy life's simple pleasures.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

I think I've caught the travel bug. I've always loved going to new places and have always had the desire to travel to all the destinations on my bucket list, but it wasn't until I graduated from college when the travel bug really bit. I'm not sure if it's the tied-down feeling you get from working a 9-5 job five days a week or the unlimited freedom you get from having a steady income, or maybe some combination of both -- but it's a serious case of wanderlust. If you've been following along for awhile, you'll know that trips out to LA aren't uncommon for me. I have tons of friends have family that live out there and I've been visiting literally since birth. Yet, it truly never gets old and my trips out there are all some of my most cherished memories. I have a couple other trips planned/in the works for the rest of the year and I cannot wait to continue sharing my travels with you both through outfit posts and via Instagram!

Monday, March 23, 2015

"Remember that life is not meant to be wasted, we can always be chasing the sun."

Happy first Monday of spring! Here on the east coast we greeted spring this year with one last snowstorm hurrah {terrible}, but in other parts of the country people are already experiencing blossoms and warm weather. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know I was in California for vacation, or as I like to refer to it, as the spring break I continued to create for myself even out of school. The weather out in Southern California was glorious -- 90s, sunny, and not a rain cloud in sight {though, to be honest, with their drought situation I don't think any of the locals would have complained about a rainstorm}. I was nothing short of excited to pack up my lightweight dresses, shorts, and tees, and I can't wait to share the rest of the looks with you! Special thanks to Momma Couture for taking these photos since my sissy wasn't able to come along on this trip. Hope you enjoy this slice of summer!

Thursday, March 19, 2015

One of my new year's resolutions was to live a healthier lifestyle, which included getting back on that workout wagon. After I said my final goodbyes to being an athlete, my relationship with working out was pretty hot and cold. My freshman year in college I would go to the gym every now and then because I lived on campus so the gym was pretty easy access. After moving home, I "took some time off" from working out, and it wasn't until my junior year in college when I signed up for a membership at Lifetime {I highly recommend!} that I started working on my fitness again. I took a lot of classes during my time there, and combined with the workout regime I came up with for myself, I saw some pretty fantastic results and achieved more than that goals I had set out to accomplish. I ended up terminating my membership after some old injuries flared back up and hadn't really gotten back to my fitness path until this year. I made a deal with my sister to workout with her using an at-home workout program we bought, and I'll admit that at-home workouts are much tougher than getting yourself to the gym {I plan on reviewing this workout program sometime in the near future once I've gone through it the way I want, so stay tuned!}. The progress here is definitely slow and steady wins the race, but as I quoted above, strive for progress not for perfection! After all, perfection is subjective.

As with my perception of life in general, when you look good you feel good. And naturally, working out is about feeling good about yourself from the inside out. To be honest, when I played sports I was never one to be big on my workout gear -- as long as it kept me cool and comfortable I was fine wearing regular t-shirts, tank tops, and shorts to practice. However, I feel like when you join a gym or join a class, there's always pressure from your peers to also look good in your actual gym clothes. On top of that, you want items that are made for workouts with the sweat-wicking technology that regular cotton lacks. I was lucky enough to partner with Yummie by Heather Thomson on this post to share with you their activewear line! I was pleasantly surprised by the comfort and quality of their pieces, and I know they will last me a long time. Their pieces are form fitting yet still figure-flattering while remaining breathable, and even my mom commented on how trim the leggings made my legs look! You can shop their collection on their website at a 15% discount with code YummieRC15 {expires March 25th}, or browse a limited selection on Nordstrom!

Monday, March 16, 2015

"For what it's worth...it's never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a life that you are proud of, and if you're not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again."

{F. Scott Fitzgerald}

I'm a chronic dreamer. I have high hopes and big ideas for things that could be, and my mind is constantly teeming with burgeoning thoughts of my possible future. Graduating from college my life motto was "Strive High". Everyone has their own definition of what their personal high in life is, but more often than not, complacency kicks in and these highs become lofty dreams that stay just that -- dreams. My biggest fear is waking up one day, ten years from now, nowhere closer than I am today to doing what I am truly passionate about. Will I have lived a life where I found my true potential, lived out my greatest passions, and found success in a job that is not just a job but also love? Complacency is easy -- anyone can become very good at a complacent life. But to achieve greatness and to strive to your highest, it's a daily reminder to ask yourself, "Am I really happy? Time and money and practicality aside, is this really what I want to be doing? If I knew the measured amount of limited time I had left on this earth, would I still wake up tomorrow morning and continue carrying out my every day routine?" If you answered no to any of the above, I encourage you to re-evaluate your life and re-evaluate your core aspirations. Think with your head but follow your heart -- it's never too late to start over no matter how daunting the task may be. Dreams may be born in an instant, but dreams that know success and happiness come with a much more trying and gratifying journey.